Mina's New Life
by Alice kid
Summary: Mina finds herself in the Soul Society one day, and because she has read the Bleach manga, wants to get as close as she can to Abarai Renji, but will he care about her? Or is he still too stuck on Rukia? discontinued until farther notice
1. Chapter 1

_Alright! Welcome to my latest project, Mina's New Life! As you may have guessed for those who've read my other words, this is a 'cousin story' to Taylor's New Life, since I am once again taking one of my facets and placing her into a manga. You will see, however, as chapters go on, that the setting, manga, and feel of the story are very different. Since Abarai Renji is the hero of this story, it will be a very different atmosphere between him and the heroine than with Sabaku no Gaara. And though I didn't mention it in this chapter, the main young woman's name is Mina. I hope you enjoy this as much as some of you have enjoyed Taylor's New Life._

_Chapter 1_

I followed him unseen and unsuspected, completely suppressing my spiritual pressure so my presence would remain a secret from him and anyone else passing by. I had been discreetly following him ever since I had heard that [drifters had entered the inner part of the Soul Society. I had already watched him fight Ichigo today. I almost rushed to heal him right away, but I realized just in time that if I was found away from my station, I was going to be in big trouble, and separated from him. I stayed back, sympathizing with his pain from a distance. Soon enough, some of my fellow healers from the fourth company came to him. They knew he had been fighting a drifter and had been watching for him. I remained unnoticed and had even stayed outside his window when they finished treating him. They only place I had not dared to follow him was the place where he achieved ban kai. I waited outside, and had followed him ever since then. I knew it was almost time for his potentially fatal battle with Kuchiki Byakuya. It was my goal to save his life, if needed.

I loved Abarai Renji deeply, much more than he or anyone else knew, but I knew how much Kuchiki Rukia meant to him. They had grown up together, become shinigami together, and he had entrusted her rescue to Ichigo after their fight. He entrusted a drifter he didn't even know to save the life of someone dear to him. I knew, also, however, how she had pushed him aside the day she was adopted into the Kuchiki clan and probably broken his heart. He had had to tell himself to stay out of her way and let her proceed, instead of trying to get her back.

But even as I thought these things, Abarai-kun stopped and looked up. I looked up, too, and saw the very person I'd been dreading all day- Kuchiki Byakuya. I knew that they were destined to clash, and Kuchiki-sama was going to use his ban kai against Abarai-kun, and that would end the battle.

"Captain... Kuchiki." Abarai-kun said. Being near both of their spiritual pressures nearly had me fainting, it was so stifling. I started to sweat.

"Where are you going?" Kuchiki-taichou asked.

"I'm going to save Rukia."

"No, you are not."

"I am going!" Abarai-kun shouted. "Won't you let me pass here peacefully?"

"I won't say the same thing twice," Kuchiki-sama replied. Suddenly he appeared behind Abarai-kun. Their swords clashed, and the fight I had dreaded since coming to the Soul Society commenced. I had to take a step back from their pressure, and didn't hear much of what was said. I could only watch from a distance, but I did hear Abarai-kun yell "Ban kai!" and saw Zabimaru change form and several pillars fall to the ground. I watched as Kuchiki-sama used Senbonzakura, but not affecting Zabimaru or Abarai-kun at all. I did hear, however, Abarai-kun say "It touched the ground! Your knee, that is." and I heard the blast from Kuchiki-sama's blast spell. I watched, blow after blow, as they fought. I also saw Captain Kuchiki release his ban kai, as well, and almost screamed as Abarai-kun was ripped to shreds.

"Be proud," said Kuchiki-sama, "that someone who, after being struck by this power, is still able to retain the form of his body." I watched in painful silence as Abarai-kun stood up to fight, and Kuchiki-sama drew his sword again, near Abarai-kun's head. "Even now," he said, "do you still dream of saving Rukia?" I saw, as I looked at the vice-captain's face, the realization that he was going to lose.

"Of course I am," Abarai-kun answered.

"What?"

"I swore... I swore that I would save her."

"You swore? To whom?"

"No one," Abarai-kun said. "I swore... TO MY SOUL!" I remembered that Ichigo said the same thing to Zangetsu. Abarai-kun was truly frightening as he stood again, covered in blood and more than half dead, murderous intent written on his face. He lunged forward at Captain Kuchiki, but I knew what was coming. His Zanpaku-tou broke into pieces, and he fell, leaving only a small bloody mark on his captain. "Damn it," he said as he fell.

"Congratulations," Kuchiki-sama said, taking off his scarf. "Your fang actually reached me." And he left.

As soon as Kuchiki-sama was out of sight, I rushed over to Abarai-kun. My shinigami robes flew out behind me, as did my long, straight, glossy black hair that reached the middle of my back.

Abarai-kun was in a bad way. Reading the manga hadn't accurately described his injuries. Since I was a member of the medic fourth gotei, I knew better than most his exact condition. I sensitively brushed his bright red hair from his face, then ran my fingers through it again, heart throbbing for him. I gingerly rolled him onto his back so I could start to heal him.

"Ohhh," he moaned weakly.

"Gomen ne," I apologized softly. "It's the only way. Gomen."

I let the top of his robes open since I could heal better through direct contact and nervously put my hands on his marred chest. It wasn't a pretty sight. Kuchiki-sama's blades had done a lot of damage, and there were cuts everywhere. I healed the major ones first to slow the bleeding, then checked inside him for serious internal injury. I could "see" inside my patients with my spiritual power.

I gasped. It was worse than I thought. If I didn't hurry, Abarai-kun would die. Within a half-hour.

"Abarai-sama?" I said softly. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes," he croaked.

"I'm going to start to heal your internal injuries," I told him. "I need you to please relax, Abarai-sama."

"Okay, he complied in a weak voice. "How bad am I? Will I live?"

I sighed nervously. "Yes. Of course you'll live." I hoped. If my skills were enough. If they weren't, I'd never forgive myself. Before I closed my eyes to concentrate on healing, I saw Abarai-kun open his eyes and look at me.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"That does not matter," I said modestly.

"It does," he persisted in his soft voice. "Who do I owe my life to?"

"You owe me nothing. Please relax, Abarai-sama. I'm going to begin. Once I do, I'll need to focus on nothing but healing you."

"Wait!" he objected weakly. "Who are you?"

"The one who will assist you from the shadows," I replied mysteriously. "Perhaps you will see me again one day, Abarai-sama."

"What is your name?" he asked again as he closed his eyes, but I barely heard him, since I had begun to exert my greatest power in an attempt to save his life.

The first thing I noticed was that I wouldn't have to worry about embedded or shattered blades, because every one had returned to Senbonzakura. I repaired his deepest wounds first, but found that my spiritual power was draining. I wasn't going to be able to even get him to the point where he was conscious. I withdrew for a moment to rest. A single tear fell down my cheek. Even after training for years, I wouldn't be able to save him.

"What's wrong, Little Healer?" I heard Abarai-kun whisper.

I jumped in surprise. He wasn't supposed to be exerting himself by talking. "Abarai-sama!"

"Sorry I scared you."

"You shouldn't be wasting your energy like this!"

"I… need to know your name," he insisted again.

"Why? Why am I so important that you would risk what little energy you have left to find out who I am?"

"Because. When I see you again…I want to be able to thank you properly."

"Being alive is enough thanks for me. Now sleep," I commanded.

I resumed my healing, a little refreshed. I brushed my hand across his eyes, and he fell to the darkness. It was for his own good. I couldn't have him trying to find out my identity and hurting himself. After a long time, I felt my own limbs begin to grow heavy, and I realized that if I kept using my power to its max, I could die. But at that moment, my life didn't matter to me. Only Abarai-kun's did. I hardly cared what was going to happen to me, as long as I saved Abarai-kun. Even if I were emoted (not that I had a very high standing anyway), even if Abarai-kun never found out that I was the one who had healed him. I didn't care.

I kept exerting my power, but my "vision" began to fade at the edges. Eventually it flickered from my real vision of Abarai-kun to my spiritual power-induced sight of his internal injuries.

_I can't keep this up much longer, _I thought, _but he's out of the greatest dangers. There's still a long way to go, though._ Despite my great overtiredness and the danger to myself, I kept healing, wouldn't give up. I pushed a few strands of hair behind my ear when I couldn't "see."

"You know," Abarai-kun said a little more firmly than before, "even if you won't tell me who I woe my life to, I'll remember your face and find you later." He sort of smiled, and from then onward, I was conscious of Abarai-kun scrutinizing my every feature. My already red cheeks blushed a deeper shade.

"I-I can't last much longer," I stammered tiredly. "I've almost exhausted my abilities here, but you're still in danger, so p-please, Abarai-sama, d-don't hurt yourself before help comes." I smiled, now probably almost as fatigued as he was.

His eyes widened the slightest bit. "Don't hurt yourself for me."

I laughed with little humor. "How will you stop me? I am not important."

"No! Little Healer..."

"Don't worry. If I live, I'll try... I'll try to see you more often. Maybe you'll recognize me. Maybe not."

"Where will you be?"

"I-In the shadows," I repeated. Then I resumed my healing and luckily my "sight" returned. I drained my energy a little more until suddenly I felt something lurch in my chest, and my "sight" disappeared. I saw Abarai-kun looking at me for a split second, and then everything went black.

* * *

_Yes, I promise I will explain how she got to Soul Society, but that will have to wait. I wanted a change from Taylor's New Life, and didn't want to bludgeon you with a similar beginning. That's just not very nice. ;D I hope you really enjoy this, because I know I will. Please read and review, so I can get your opinions!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Here it is, even though there haven't been really any reviews. :( Nevertheless, I hope some of you will read this, since I'm very serious about this story. I don't think it will be nearly as long and TNL, but I guess I'll have to see._

_To Ratell-Dark: YES, IT IS MOST CERTAINLY RENJI, AND YES, I WILL CONTINUE TO WRITE ROMANCE AS I FEEL LIKE IT!! Maybe not for EVERY anime/manga guy I like, but certainly for several. I have to tell SOMEONE what goes on in my head at night. See what happens when you don't have a crush on a REAL person? This! And other things like it! Oh, well. I still love to write! 3 I love to write and read reviews so much it hurts sometimes._

_

* * *

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_Chapter 2_

I woke at night, and Captain Unohana was standing over me. I groaned. Everything was in pain.

"Oh. You're awake."

"Hai. How is Abarai-sama?"

"Always so formal," she said. "He's fine. He's recovering from another fight."

I nodded. "Makes sense," I said, half-delirious. Normally that would have bothered me, but my mind was too muddled to put everything together.

"Do you feel alright?" she asked.

"I think so. My mind's a little fuzzy and I don't think I could even sit up, but otherwise I feel just fine."

"You fool!" Unohana-sama scolded me. "You could have died! The whole company was worried about their little friend."

I grimaced. Abarai-kun had called me "Little Healer." I wasn't much taller than Kuchiki Rukia, and was shorter than most young women of my age, but everyone in the fourth gotei was always mentioning it. "Do they know why I'm like this?"

"Most don't. Only a few people who found you and Abarai-san, and I'll have to tell some of the higher-ups what happened, but no one else does."

"Good. Please, can you all swear secrecy? I don't want attention."

"Why? You saved an officer's life."

"So? People do that for their comrades all the time. What makes me any different? And am I in trouble? Is that why you have to tell my superiors?"

She sighed. "No, you're not in trouble, but a few were furious that you weren't at your post, but I'll fill them in and guarantee their confidence. Then you should be okay."

"Thank you so much," I said.

"You're welcome," she said softly. "Now rest and recover your health, Oshiro Mina. We'll need you on the field, taking care of more people for another several days, at least."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVvv

I only allowed myself to rest for the next few days, during which time several of my friends came to visit. On the third (and last) day, Sato Akiko-chan, my first and best friend in Soul Society, and also from the sixth company, dropped by. She explained all about Aizen's betrayal and what had happened while I had been unconscious. Of course, I already knew everything from reading manga a long time ago, but I went along with it and pretended to be shocked.

"Hey," she said when she had finished, "why did you swear everyone to secrecy? You could've been a hero!"

"I don't want to be a hero," I said stubbornly. "I'm not special."

"But Abarai-sama is," she teased.

"Shut up," I snapped. She knew all about how I felt and why I had been recovering; she had gone looking for me, and was one of the three who had found Abarai-kun and me. "He doesn't even know that I exist."

"But he might now. He might remember."

"Oh, crud!" I exclaimed, remembering what he ad said. "He said he'd remember my face and try to find me." _He kept watching me._

"Aw, how sweet."

"Shut up, Akiko-chan! You're not helping. I tried to tell him that as long as he lived through his injuries, that would be enough for me, but he didn't listen."

"Maybe he likes you."

"After one time talking to me? Don't say crazy things. Besides, he has Kuchiki-san."

"You don't even know for sure if he actually does love her," Akiko-chan said.

"No, but I have a feeling."

"Why don't you just tell him what you think of him?"

"Are you insane? What would do if someone said, 'Hey, I really like you, so if we could get together sometime and go out that would be great'? I don't think so."

"Well, that's not exactly what I was suggesting."

"What do you suggest?"

Her eyes lit up. "You can hang out with me more often! And try to get on missions with me. I'm in Abarai's squad, and even though he's the vice captain, I still see him often."

I sighed. "Whatever you say, since you care so much. Why are you so excited by the fact that I really like him?"

"I dunno. Maybe because you're my friend and it's cute."

I blushed again. "Shut up," I muttered.

"I need to go," Akiko-chan told me, "but I'll drop by later of you're not out of here by then."

"'Kay. Bye," I said. Then, after she had closed the door behind her: "Tell him? You're crazy…" Then my thoughts returned to what had been bothering me; would Abarai-kun actually recognized me if he saw me? What was my most distinctive feature? I knew instantly. It was my hair. Many female shinigami kept their hair relatively short, but I had never followed that. I resolved to tie my heir back everyday, or keep it up in a bun. I had done that once before, and a lot of my friends said it changed the way my whole face looked. At the time, I wasn't happy about that, but now I embraced the difference.

Once Unohana-sama said I was free to go, I went directly home that night and put my hair back into a ponytail. I did look different. Hopefully it would be enough to fool Abarai-kun. After all, he had only seen me once.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

A week after Aizen's betrayal, I was still kept busy patching up the last of the wounded. Akiko-chan had been assigned to my as my assistant, but we both knew Captain just wanted to make sure I didn't hurt myself again. Unohana-sama had made sure the three who found me wouldn't tell, and had similarly quieted my other superiors. I didn't see Abarai-kun the first day or the second. Akiko-chan was determined to put me in a place where her vice captain might recognized me, so the day after I had finished the work, she somehow arranged to pass by Abarai-kun. I didn't have a clue how. She knew he would be near the South Gate and told my we were going to see him ten minutes before we left. As if I needed something else to worry about.

I made sure my hair was up in a bun and left my house with her. We reached the Gate before we realized, and had been talking and laughing about everything _except_ what was about to happen. I had no idea what I should say. Should I say anything? No, better steer clear of that. I didn't firmly trust myself to talk to him, especially after what had happened.

Just as I had made up my mind not to put myself forward, Akiko-chan ruined it. "Hello, vice captain," she called out.

"Oh. Look who it is," he replied, walking towards us. "It's Sato. And who's this?"

"My friend, Mina-chan." I'd pummel her (in a friendly way) later- she was trying to get him to call my by my fist name already.

"Mina?" he said. "Does Mina have a surname?"

"Not for y-" I elbowed her in the stomach.

"Yes. Oshiro."

"Nice to meet you," he said. He held out his hand. It took me a second to remember what I was supposed to do.

"An honor, Abarai-sama." I shook his hand and inclined my head.

"Ha. You don't have to cal me that," he laughed. "No one ever calls me that." Then I realized my mistake. "Except once recently. Have I ever seen you before?"

"No," I lied before Akiko-chan could blow my cover. "I'm just Mina."

"Hmm," the vice captain continued. "You don't quite look like her. Sorry I confused you with someone else."

"Not a problem," I assured him.

"Okay, Oshiro-san," he smiled. "Just Abarai is fine. But if you hear someone call me sama, will you let me know?"

"C-Certainly," I promised, nervously crossing my fingers behind my back.

"Are you sure I've never seen you before? You kind of remind me of someone."

"Yes."

"Well, I'll see you two around."

"Sounds good," Akiko-chan answered for me as Abarai-kun continued on.

"Great. Do you think he'll figure me out?"

"Maybe. He didn't wholly recognize you, but his subconsciousness seemed to be telling him he knew you. Impressive. You gave enough of an impression the other day that he will remember, but not in his conscious memory. But there's always the possibility of him recalling everything if you give him a way to."

"What do you mean?"

She tapped my restrained hair. "That. Anyone would realize who you are with your hair down."

"Yeah, no kidding. That's why it's not."

"Your loss," she said, shrugging. But I new a way to get closer. I could go with Abarai-kun, Madarame-san, Ayasegawa-san, Hitsugaya-taichou, Kuchiki-san, and Matsumoto-san to Karakura in the coming month. Surely they could use a healer. Especially after fighting the Arrancars I knew were coming. As long as Abarai-kun knew me a little better, I was almost certain id' be able to go. Besides, the one who assigned the team was Abarai-kun himself, so all I had to do was ask. I couldn't wait. So many things I could do...

"So are you going to see him more often?" Akiko-chan asked, jerking me out of my thoughts

"Of course. At least I'll try," I said, "but I don't want to be, like, a stalker."

She laughed. "Yeah, that'd be bad. Definitely don't wanna go stalker. That creeps people out."

"Yeah."

"So..." she continued more quietly. "do you really love him that much?"

"What do you mean? You're not making much sense today."

"That you'd risk yourself for him?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Wow, that's so cool. I wish I had someone like that."

"No, you don't. You don't want to have to love someone that just don't feel the same," I said, recalling one of my old favorite songs from a lifetime ago.

"I guess not. See you around, Mina-chan."

"Yeah."

"And Abarai, too."

"Shut up." She shrugged and left me to find my own way to get into Abarai-kun's future team. I figured I had a couple of weeks, maybe a little more. I'd be on that team for sure. I was determined.

* * *

_Well, I have to say it's obvious that she'll get her way, so look forward to chapter 3, the beginning of the mission in Karakura. (though I'm still writing it... ;D This story is progressing quickly, I must say...)_


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